Rated T for strong Language. But not a lot around.
If it wasn't for the lack of clouds in the skies Shikamaru would have said he liked this silent trip. Having time to himself to just relax at a brisk running pace on the soft yellow sand beneath his feet. But there was absolutely nothing worth thinking about during his run to Suna. Sure he could think of his situation with Temari but for obvious reasons he tried to ignore her as a topic. He didn't want to think of how she constantly raged at him in her letters, calling him a lazy good for nothing who was too afraid to commit. Shikamaru was committed, he was with her this entire time wasn't he? Never had his eyes darted away to another woman and he kept it that way for her. Was she afraid or worried? There wasn't a way to tell her emotions through her letters so she could very well be afraid and she was the type who'd rather die than show any kind of weakness.
Shikamaru bit his lower lip and sighed, "Damn." He was thinking of her again. How many times was that woman going to probe his mind when all he wanted was some peace? The ninja was who normally thirty steps ahead of the game was at a loss of what to do when it came to his girlfriend. Maybe he should just call it quits and go their separate ways. But that would be too easy and would have too many set backs for both parties. Relationships were so troublesome.
The sight of Suna's buildings caused him to relax again and his thoughts of Temari and the whole situation disappeared. He'd see to what Gaara needed and get this whole thing over with. Shikamaru was none the wiser to why he was summoned to Suna immediately. Naruto didn't tell him anything aside from that the Kazekage would explain it all. Beating the answer out of Naruto was an appealing thought but he was the Hokage now and Shikamaru needed to treat him with some respect. Besides, running to Suna was less of a hassle than dealing with an exhausted Naruto. Go to Suna, deal with Gaara, head on home without seeing a pissed off Temari and go about his day.
Closer and closer he came to the gate but the relaxed feeling did not last long as he saw the all too familiar shape of the person who stood at the gates. His pace slowed down considerably and soon he started walking. Wiping the beads of sweat that formed while running, he stopped just a few feet away from his girlfriend. She wore mesh armor underneath a short sleeved, black dress a blue sash around her waist. She looked stunningly dangerous and beautiful to his eyes. "Why me?"
Temari looked none too pleased to see him here either. Gaara said that there would be someone coming to go with her on the mission but damn it all, why did it have to be him? Sure she was happy that he was here; her heart was racing from his presence but she didn't want to deal with him right now. Clearing her throat she called out to him, "Hey Lazy-Ass, you're late." When he said nothing to her, she placed a hand on her hip. "Fuck you then. We don't need to talk about the mission then. Let's just go and get this over with."
"Wait." With a hand rubbing his temple, Shikamaru was trying to figure out what was happening here. "I was only told to come here and speak to Gaara. What's this about going on a mission with you?"
Now she looked annoyed and even more upset with him. She was speaking under her breath but only shook her head. "Damn this. Look, just follow me and I'll explain everything to you, okay? We don't have much time to get there." She began to head down south, caring a few extra scrolls with bottled water for emergencies. This was going to be a big pain in the ass but maybe it was a good thing. At least she could try to kick some information out of him and interrogate him. She always thought it was suspicious he never talked about any female than the four he was close with in his village. Maybe there were others she wasn't aware of. Maybe his friends covered for him too. She'll find out one way or another.
Shikamaru now cursed Naruto silently. Why was he the one who had to be chosen for this? Was this his plan all along? To get these two together on a damn mission to fix what was going on between them? But now he smirked, Naruto was smarter than he gave him credit for in his sleepy state. As troublesome as it was, it was all worth it to try and find a way to make her live with him.
Both ran through the hot sand, Shikamaru glanced at Temari who only looked away when his eyes made contact with hers. "So we're going to reach the far end of this place to a small pier. There's a boat there that will take us to a country called Japan. We dock at Matsue and pick up our client's daughter, Tokuhime. We get her to Hamada where she'll be made queen of her territory and get her back. It would be about a two to three week walk to and from both destinations. That's our gig. Gaara and your friend Tenten will be-"
"Tenten?" He looked down and remembered he had seen her head to the Hokage tower but he didn't think she'd also been called on this mission. If he had known that he would of stayed behind and waited for her so they could travel together. He didn't mind her too much. She got along better with the guys of the group than she did with the girls, he was no exception. "I didn't know she'd be here too."
"Yeah, Gaara said something about her being late. But they'll catch up to us eventually. Or at least get there by the time we need to head out." She looked back and could see Suna was something of a speck in the distance. She'd be gone for a long time. "Hope Kankuro doesn't mess it up for Gaara."
"If he's as half as smart as you, then he'll be just fine," he said nonchalantly. He wanted whatever dark cloud hanging over her head to go away. Temari only "humphed" at his attempt to compliment her and things got silent between them. This was going to be a long trip...
"Hot."
Huff...
"It's so hot."
Huff...
"Kami, why must it be so damn hot?" Tenten was out of the forests of the Land of Fire and now in the blazing sun of the Land of Wind. Sand was making its way into her sandals and between her toes. It burned a bit with every step she took but it was something she could only endure for the moment. If she stopped every time she had to clean up what got under her foot this trip would take weeks. Taking a gulp of water from her bottle, she let some of the water hit her top and soak up. It felt good to feel the cool liquid against her skin. She hoped she could take a shower when she got there.
She was almost there. It was way off into the distance but it was there. Thank Kami! With a sigh of relief, Tenten felt her feet get lighter with each step as Suna was getting larger as she approached. Before she knew it she stood at the gates, looking up at three guards who were at the top of the passage way. They wore covered in normal Suna garments to protect them from the sun. She should of thought of that when she packed. She could already tell she had a massive sunburn on her feet and the nape of her neck. Rolling her eyes at herself from the lack of protection, she waited for one of them to do or say something but neither of them went to her. However a rush of wind blew in behind her and caused her to turn, soon she was face to face with the red headed Kazekage. Her first instinct was to jump back but she took a gulp and smiled at a face she hadn't seen in a long time.
His eyes were as intense as she remembered. Green, deep and a wall of blank expression covering his swarm of emotions. She knew his type, she hung out with his type. No matter how silent and calm and devoid of all emotion they were she could always see something within them. At that moment she saw something happy. Fair skin despite being in a land where sun was abundant and short, spiky, red hair that reminded her of a flame. He was taller from when she last saw him. Grown about a half-foot or so taller than she was. Wearing his full-length dark trousers, a long-sleeved crimson coat, a grey holster vest held in place by a single strap over his left shoulder and two buckled belts which held his gourd of sand secure.
Tenten always thought he was handsome and very distinctive looking. Strange but never in the bad sense. She wasn't too intimidated by the guy himself, just his position as Kazekage was what got her on edge. She knew it wouldn't be like him to judge all of Konoha based on her skills but it still bothered her that she was being judged when he looked at her. The smile never faded though.
"I got word from Naruto that you needed me, Kazekage-Sama. So here I am." Duh! Of course you're here, he could clearly see you. She wanted to hit herself for saying that last bit.
Gaara couldn't tell what this girl was thinking. The moment she saw him, she smiled. She actually smiled and it looked genuine. Not one of those smiles you put on to make yourself look good. It was, in a way, calming to see. Her buns were well kept, he noticed. Even after running for hours she maintained well throughout her travel. Her eyes were chocolate brown and clear, not filled with fear he had seen in so many. But of course years have passed and he had made a reputation of being nicer to everyone he could. Still, many of the elder villagers still feared him for his power, not his past. It wasn't the same but it still had him feeling alone at times.
"Good. We must depart immediately. I can assume you brought enough for a long journey?" He turned away from her slowly and motion her to start following him towards the path Shikamaru and Temari went towards.
She nodded to his question and remained at his side, "Yeah, I think so. But what exactly did you need me for? Got some weapon handling you need?" She began to follow his quickening pace reluctantly. She wanted to rest for a moment but this was his mission and they needed to go. That shower would have to wait.
"No, I am in need of your body." It took Gaara a moment to suddenly realize the huge mistake in that sentence. He didn't look at her as he felt his cheeks burn lightly and it wasn't from the sun. Tenten herself was shocked at what she heard and turned pink as well. She didn't yell, even though she wanted too at first, he probably didn't mean it that way. "What I meant to say was... Wait a moment, Naruto didn't explain the mission to you?"
Tenten shook her head, "Not a thing. He said you'd explain it. He was really tired though. All that paperwork..."
Gaara smiled a bit, he was right about his assumptions of his old friend. "Our client is an Emperor from another land called Japan. He has asked for assistance in protecting his daughter, Tokuhime. You will be the decoy, posing as her while the real Tokuhime is transferred elsewhere for her coronation. Temari and Shikamaru are in charge of her safety while we take care of any threat in their home. " He noticed that she slowed her pace considerably to a stop and he slowed as well to look at her. The smile was gone. "Is something the matter, Tenten-san?"
She lifted her head up and shook her head, "No, it's fine. I just remembered something." A lie but she didn't want to go through her meager pet peeve to the Kazekage. He probably would think she was being childish for it. Also, Shikamaru was sent too. Why weren't they dispatched at the same time? Oh right, Naruto wasn't giving out much in the way of details. She went to his side and continued their run through the desert. "Why was I picked for this mission? Wouldn't someone with a more regal background be better?" Tenten noticed he reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture of the princess without make-up. She couldn't believe it. "Creepy. She looks like me..."
"Indeed. Very much like twins," he commented to her. He didn't know if the grunting noise she made was of disapproval or not. She handed the picture back to him and back in his pocket it went.
"Do you know how she acts?" Tenten asked, glancing over at him a bit. She needed as much information about this girl as possible, not just for the mission but to know how much she's going to hate this mission on a scale of 1 - 10. When he didn't answer, she only assumed even he didn't know what she was like. "Well, I suppose I'll find out when I see her." A soft sigh passed her lips and they said nothing to each other for some time.
Gaara didn't mind silence in a long run, he could think when there was silence. But one look at her face showed that something was bothering her. Was it the silence perhaps? They would be running for about another two hours and if they were going to run together, he might as well start to catch her up on what's been happening in Konoha. Maybe that would lighten the mood around her and he would finally catch up with what everyone was up to in his neighboring village. "Is everyone alright in your nation?"
That question made her blink. Sure she knew he'd change far from the quiet guy who intimidated with a glance but he was trying to be social? It was odd to start talking gossip to the Kazekage but at least their trip wouldn't be filled with awkward silence. "Where should I even start? Everyone overall is just fine health wise. Anyone in particular you want to hear about?"
"How is Naruto and Lee?" He was very curious of the first two friends he made long ago. It was a pity they could write to one another regularly, their duties tended to drive them to forget or postpone their letters.
"Naruto has been seen less and less," she began. "With his duties as Hokage and trying to help arrange his wedding with Hinata, he's been running around a lot. When he told me to come see you, he had shadows under his eyes larger than yours." A stupid comment... How she just wanted to smack herself for saying that. "Err, but Lee's doing great! He's made Jonin and has already been given his own genin students. He's trying hard to surpass Gai Sensei." She started to smile now and even laugh when she remembered some of the funny bits Lee's tried to pull to one up his old Sensei. More poses, more sparkles, more comments of the Springtime of Youth. His students were afraid of and admired him at the same time. "Even though he's training and teaching he still makes time for Sakura though. Which I think is sweet. He makes her lunch everyday when she works at the hospital. I'm glad she finally gave him a chance to date after all this time."
Tenten remembered it clearly, she was there when it happened. Sitting at the park with her friends. Naruto was arguing with Kiba about the importance of collectables. Shino was silently pushed into that conversation along with Sai. Choji was eating chips while feeding his girlfriend, Ino, grapes as she rested on his lap. Sakura was drinking ice cold tea with Hinata, conversing about the new store lines that were opening up around the town. Shikamaru snoozing under the shade of a tree and Tenten herself just smiled at the group beside Shikamaru. And out of the blue, Lee appeared with a bundle of flowers in hand. A cluster of combinations ranging from lilac, rose, stock, gladiolus, amaryllis, jasmine and more! He went straight to Sakura and went on one knee, giving her the flowers. Red faced and determined he declared his 'loyalty of love' to her. "Sakura-chan! I bare these gifts for you to show you what you mean to me! I know I've not been successful in past endeavors but please know Sakura-chan!" He looked at her with sincerity and seriousness, "I love you. I have only ever loved you and you alone. I ask you to give me one chance. The flower of Konoha blooms twice but to me, you will bloom forever."
Gaara remained silent, listening closely to the adventures the group all had throughout their days of peace. She spoke of how Naruto proposed to Hinata. The drama between Sai and Ino when they dated and broke up. That was a nightmare but they had mended the damage and now she was going out with Choji who stayed at her side at all times. Akamaru was now a father of five strong pups. The little tidbits of the good and bad times her friends went through. Each step of their life to get them to where they were now. But he noted that she didn't speak of what happened to her. All the gossip and memories she recalled didn't involve her directly. But before he could ask her anything, they had finally made it to a small port at the edge of the land.
The sea looked endless. Water far as the eye could see. Waves hitting rocks and sand. What few wooden houses that stood there belonged to the fishermen who held no ties to any nation, just the waters. A few boats were out and on the docks were a young man stood. He waved over for them to come and smiled. He stood just as tall as Gaara, sandy blond hair and brown eyes. He had a few scars on his face and a bite mark on his arm. Wearing blue shorts cut up at the knee, a black bandana and old straw sandals, he looked very homely. "So you're the others. Gramps already took your two companions out so I'll be guiding ya through the sea. Let's go before the sun goes down. Takes a good few hours to get there."
The vessel they had departed in wasn't too bad. It wasn't large enough to really hold three people but it wasn't small enough to make them cramp together. The fisherman, who was named 'Yoh', kept to himself. Humming a tune neither ninja recognized. Tenten wasn't used to traveling in such a way and it was exciting for her to see. Watching the waters, hypnotized as fish of all colors came close to the boat and swam past them.
Gaara on the other hand was uneasy from the rocking of the boat. He rarely, if ever, traveled by boat if he could help it. The constant motions of going up and down had made him feel strange in his stomach. He tried not to show it, folding his arms and closing his eyes, keeping his mind preoccupied with anything that wasn't the rocking of the boat.
"Hey, Kazekage-Sama?"
He opened his eyes to glance at her only to see she was looking over the horizon. "What is it?"
"How is everyone over at Suna doing? I told you about Konoha. I think talking would help."
He realized that she was referring to him feeling a little sick. He wouldn't tell her too much, since many of the things he knew were strictly Suna business but he wouldn't mind sharing what was happening with a few of the shinobi she knew from Suna. Speaking of how Kankuro had gotten a fleet of puppet users to all make puppets to transform into a large puppet for fun. How Temari was teaching a class of her own genin though she wasn't doing too well with her temper being what it is these days. Tenten didn't have to ask, everyone in the group of friends knew why. The difference between the two love birds was that Shikamaru tried to keep it hidden and away from everyone, taking it out on no one thus far while Temari's temper got the better of her when she even glanced at something that reminded her of him. Even Gaara got upset at her latest attitude; constantly complaining, punching anything she was close to and giving everyone the mad eye when they said hello.
"I wonder if this mission will finally fix things? Or maybe make things worse for those two," Tenten mused. The waters seemed to have gotten a bit rougher on the boat. It leaned up with the waters and fall hard after the wave passed under them. She felt her body feel lighter for a moment before hitting the deck of the boat. Rougher and rougher out in the sea the waters became, and she was trying to hold on to the edge of the boat to keep steady.
Gaara was in the same position, gripping the edge and holding for dear life. It was embarrassing enough he was getting sea sick, there was no way he'd fall over the edge of the boat as well. The boat tipped a bit over to he side, causing Gaara to bump hard against Tenten. She gasped a little before they both fell on the deck with a loud "thud". Gaara fell on something soft and warm. He looked up and saw a red faced Tenten staring at him with widened eyes. Her breathing was hard from his weight on hers and he stood up quickly from her. Never had he gotten so close to a girl that he could hear her heart beat wildly in her chest. From behind, he could hear Yoh apologize with a laugh.
He offered a hand out to her to help her up but she ignored it and stood on her own. They both looked away from each other, calming their minds with thoughts of anything but the tumble they had. How much longer were they going to be out at sea? For Gaara's sake, she hoped it wouldn't be too much longer but so far there was no land in sight for them. Just water that sparkled in the sun light like tiny diamonds. It was a splendid sight to behold but she turned when she heard Gaara grunting a bit. Turning around, she could see his body trembling slightly and his skin was much paler than before. Going to his side she merely placed a hand on her hip and smiled out at nothing in particular.
"I'm thinking of a weapon that's used by most ninjas. Easy to throw but not astounding to see."
Gaara blinked at her sentence. She was thinking of a weapon? What kind? Most use it and it was easy to throw. That gave him three choices. "Does it fit in the palm of your hand?"
She smiled at him, he was playing the game. "Sometimes. It can be bigger, depending on what sort you're using."
Senbon needles were clearly out. So that meant it was either a kunai or Shuriken. "Can one deal a fatal blow?"
"If aimed correctly, yes. Otherwise you'll need many."
"Is it a Shuriken?"
Tenten nodded with a smile, "Yup! Got it right. Next one!"
That was a bit too easy but it was a rather interesting game. The motion of the ocean no longer lingered in his mind. The two ninjas began to play Twenty Question Weapons. Guessing the weapon within twenty questions or less. Gaara never realized just how many weapons there were. The Weapons Mistress of Konoha had knowledge of ninja tools he never knew existed in his life. It was strange to speak so freely to this girl. She wasn't timid or shy like Matsuri and she definitely wasn't temperamental or brash like his sister. She was somewhere in the middle and her smile was rather infectious that he couldn't help but smile too as they played together long into the day. They both had forgotten they were on a boat, and they weren't paying attention too much to notice that land was just a moment away.
I shall admit right now, I am terrible at travel scenes.
